One Last Hurrah - Ragnar Trail AZ 2022 - Part 1

The global pandemic that rolled through in 2020 put a crimp in our style in many different ways, but one of the items we missed most from that time period was having the opportunity to participate in large athletic events like races, fun runs, and our annual Ragnar Trail weekend.  While we still did laps around the neighborhood and other workouts (when we weren't dealing with heart issues or other such things), there's something special about the gathering of like-minded folks getting together to celebrate the fun of running that just can't be replicated on your own.


Our Ragnar AZ Trail 2022 "Breaking Rag" Team:
from left, Rachel, Jen, me, Chris, Andrea, Christina, Bryan, and Jake

Like we normally do, back in late 2019, we'd signed up for the 2020 running of Ragnar McDowell (since renamed to Ragnar Trail Arizona), normally held in early November.  When that was canceled, Ragnar deferred our registration to the 2021 event, provided it would occur.  The organizers held the race in 2021, but our team decided to take the option to defer one more year, to allow things to return to functioning smoothly.  


Some of the scenery outside our tent flap at McDowell Mountain Regional Park

In the interim, we'd all aged up by two years (funny how that works), and after many of us faced several health considerations (both major and minor), we decided that the 2022 run would likely be our last time taking part in the event weekend (many of us are also more than a little over not sleeping well for 40+ hours straight and trying to get comfy on cots and in sleeping bags).  To close out our Ragnar chapter in style, we treated ourselves to the Glamping option offered by the organizers; instead of hauling in and setting up your own tents, canopies, and the like (and then, of course, having to tear it all down and pack it up when you're absolutely exhausted), Ragnar takes care of this for you.  All we had to bring was our sleeping bags, running gear, and food!  We'd glamped before - at Ragnar Snowmass 2019 - and it worked out really well, so we were excited for the opportunity to do so again.

This year, we had a few new additions to our team, as well!  Rachel joined us in preparing for the 2020 event, and we were excited when she was still able to run with us after our 24-month deferral.  She's Christina and Amadeo's cousin, and she actually lives just around the corner from Chris and I in mid-town Phoenix (small world)!  Although we'd never actually met until she pulled into the parking lot at McDowell on Friday morning, she was a wonderful addition to the team, kind and caring, and it was a pleasure to get to know her.


Cousin powers, activate!  Christina and Rachel

Unlike Rachel, who'd been signed up since 2020, Andrea, our other new teammate this year, was a last minute addition, but a very welcome one.  Due to Christina's husband Amadeo having a foot injury he was rehabbing (see!  We're old and broken!), we were scrambling about four weeks before the event to find someone to take his place.  I immediately thought of Andrea, and I'm so glad she was able to join us.  Andrea and I have known each other through work for...(counting on fingers and toes)...at least 15 years or so, and while we've enjoyed each other's company in the times we've gathered together (mainly at beer festivals - yup, she's our kind of people), we've never had the chance to run with one another.  She and her husband Mike are runners, too, and she does all sorts of great work with volunteers helping maintain local (and not so local) trails.  We were both excited to have the opportunity to Ragnar on the same team!


Andrea kicking butt and taking names on the yellow loop.
See that smile?  Heck, yeah!

With the team roster in place and the glamping spot reserved, we worked on our training, and on the first weekend in November, we all headed northwest to McDowell Mountain Regional Park for the event.  As is our norm, several of us arrived on Thursday to secure our site and stay the night.  Although we had a reserved glamping spot, even in the fancy tents, some locations are better than others (not near the port o' loo's, for example), and we wanted to find a great one.  While Chris and I were working, Bryan and Jen took the day off, so they made it to McDowell around 2pm, right as check-in normally starts.  

Normally is the key word in the sentence above - as check-in was beginning, the skies over McDowell opened up, and it began to pour rain in earnest.  The wind also kicked up, ripping several of the previously set up glamping tents from the ground, sending them rolling through the check-in parking lot.  Jen and Bryan took these pictures once the rain abated:


Poor, sad, upside down tents


They don't keep out much water that way

Since much of the glamping area would need to be re-set up, check-in was postponed for a few hours.  Thankfully for Chris and I, Jen was keeping us updated as the day progressed; instead of heading to McDowell right after work, we caught up on the previous night's Survivor episode and enjoyed some snacks.  Eventually, we couldn't stand it any longer and we headed out, making it to the venue right as check-in was finally kicking off (about two hours late).  Bryan had the foresight to throw his backpack in one of the tent groupings, so we already had one claimed, and we started to unpack our vehicles...right into the mud and muck.

When the tents went flying, rain poured into the empty spaces where they'd been, giving everything inside, including sleeping cots, camp chairs, tables, and mats, a good soaking.  We attempted to keep our footing in the mess and set up our living space for the next two days, all while trying not to totally befoul the rugs lying atop the mud pit our area had become.  We also dragged the cots and chairs outside, allowing them to get two hours or so of sun and fresh air before night fell; once it got dark, we moved the five least wet of each inside, to use them for the evening.


Chris, really enjoying this experience.
Thankfully, Jen and Bryan thought to bring one of the large outside mats from their camper.
We put this to good use inside.


This is the muck in the area between two of the sleeping "pods."
Again, I cannot stress enough that this is INSIDE a tented, walled structure.

Christina wasn't able to camp with us on Thursday night (she was still recovering from a bout with COVID from September), but she and Amadeo ran to Lowe's, acquiring two more outdoor rugs that they'd bring with them the next day (they fit great in the side areas shown in the picture above).  Hooray for amazing teammates!


Nothing says Ragnar like a last-minute trip to a major hardware retailer

Once everything was as set up as possible, including our outdoor cooking area, we made dinner (carnitas tacos) and had a nice time catching up with Bryan and Jen.  Fresh from the airport and flight from Las Vegas, Jake arrived after that, and we all enjoyed hanging out together (and seeing Keeli, who wisely opted to go home and spend the night in her warm bed).


Chris, Bryan, and Jen staying toasty


Jake and I and the mud pit

Worn out by working, traveling, and dealing with all of *this*, we all headed to bed before too long.  I don't know that anyone slept super well - between the normal camping aches and pains and our extremely loud neighbors (one was lightly snoring, and his lady was much more loudly screaming at him to stop), it wasn't the most restful of nights.  Although we may not have awoken totally refreshed, we were excited about seeing the rest of the team and starting some trail running!

In the next blog, we actually do this thing!

Later!

Amy

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